7 blues licks worth knowing in all 12 keys

Reader,

When I first started teaching piano 20 years ago, I had a book full of jazz, boogie-woogie and pop licks that I gave the kids I was teaching.

But over time I stopped recommending that because I kept seeing students who could play licks but couldn't actually improvise. They were painting by number, and it didn't translate into real soloing.

Playing licks is not bad. They help you learn important parts of the language. But I'm convinced they are more effective as an add-on to existing improvisation, rather than a starting point.

Down below, I've put together a worksheet with 7 essential blues licks that we should learn in every key.

Friday Masterclass: This Friday is the last session of Blues Season. We're going to take these licks and drop them into C Jam Blues, St. Louis Blues, Sonnymoon for Two, and Bags Groove.

You are already on the list.

See you Friday, April 10th, at 1:00 Eastern on Zoom.

7 Important Blues Licks

As we've learned, the blues scale works over every chord in the key. And since these licks are built around that scale, they tend to work on any of the chords too.

Some of them (eg. Lick #1) may benefit from transposing for the chord, while others work as written. Where I can, I've shown the lick applied to different chords.

Lick #1 sets up a chord change with a simple pentatonic run to the root of that new chord.

Lick #2 is a classic triplet pattern using both the minor and major 3rds of the key, really leaning on that blue note on the downbeats.

Lick #3 is a turn using notes from the blues scale.

Lick #4 creates a triplet movement from the most dissonant note, the b5, back to the root of the key.

Lick #5 is another turn, but a bit more syncopated, and resolving back to the note you started on.

Lick #6 is inspired by the tried and true blues shuffle pattern.

Lick #7 is an Oscar Peterson favorite, combining a blues shuffle, triplet arpeggio and even a bebop enclosure.

Practice this before Friday

1. Download the full worksheet: Important Blues Licks.pdf​
2. Run through each of the licks slowly, experimenting with them over each chord in a C blues
3. Practice inserting them into your own solos in and around your own creative lines.

If you are feeling adventurous, try transposing them into G, F, and Bb.